“When was the last time you saw your son?”

Su Yeon gave a bitter smile.

“Right after his birth, I sent him to America. I haven’t seen him since.”

Tae Ha was inwardly shocked. His son was the same age as Su Yeon’s, but she hadn’t seen him in so long.

“His father promised to come get me with his parents’ permission.”

Su Yeon sighed.

“But some people came and demanded the child. I don’t know much, but their family must be prestigious. They said they couldn’t marry a woman like me, so they just took the child.”

So the child was taken away? Tae Ha felt genuine compassion for Su Yeon and anger boiled up against the heartless man.

“And the child’s father just let it happen?”

“His parents were said to be very scary. He probably had no choice.”

Even though it was a matter of decades ago, Su Yeon’s face looked as if she might cry at any moment.

“You must have been through a lot.”

“For the first few years, just thinking about it made me cry. But later, I realized it was better for the child to grow up in a wealthy home with a good education than with a mom like me. Looking back, I guess it’s fortunate.”

Even as she called it fortunate, Su Yeon’s expression seemed as if she might burst into tears. Tae Ha regretted touching a sore spot.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked…”

“No, who else could I tell? I’ve only ever said to Si Hyun that I have a son, never the details.”

Su Yeon dabbed her eyes with the hem of her apron, forcing a smile.

“Now I live in hope that as long as I’m alive, I’ll see him someday. That’s why I’m studying English so hard. My son won’t speak Korean, right?”

At that, Tae Ha thought of Leon. Had his father studied Korean for the same reasons?

Suddenly, he missed his father on the other side of the globe.

Reading Tae Ha’s thoughts, Su Yeon asked,

“Si Hyun mentioned you found your father in high school. Do you meet him often?”

“Yes, he visits Korea once or twice a year. When he comes this year, I’ll introduce him to you.”

Su Yeon clapped her hands.

“Oh my, now I have a reason to practice my conversational English!”

“Our father speaks Korean well,” Tae Ha was about to say, but then he shut his mouth, thinking it would be more fun when they actually met.

Come to think of it, Leon and Su Yeon were the same age.

‘Maybe they could become good friends.’

As he entertained this pleasant thought, Si Hyun came to mind, and Tae Ha’s mood darkened again. What if things never worked out with Si Hyun? Then coming to this shop would become difficult.

Feeling choked up, Tae Ha put down his spoon. Su Yeon comforted him softly.

“Don’t worry too much. Si Hyun will definitely recognize you.”

Tae Ha blurted out,

“Since I’m the same age as your son, I wish you could speak more casually with me. Call me by my name, like you do with Si Hyun.”

“But you’re Si Hyun’s superior, how could I?”

“I’d be happier if you treated me informally.”

“Really, can I?”

After hesitating for a while, Su Yeon cautiously called Tae Ha’s name.

“…Tae Ha.”

Her voice was filled with affection.

Somehow, his eyes felt hot, and Tae Ha quickly picked up his spoon to pretend he was eating.

[Star Icon]

Tae Ha left Su Yeon’s shop and returned home. Despite waiting past midnight, Si Hyun never returned. She had turned off her phone entirely.

“Where on Earth could she have gone…”

Tae Ha sighed. He worried about where she might be, and at the same time, his heart sank in despair.
Did you hate the kiss with me that much? To the point you can’t even enter the house because you find me so disgusting.

Tae Ha had a bottle of whiskey he’d recently received as a gift at home. Upset, he drank alone late into the night.

A few glasses into the whiskey without any food, he started to feel drunk. Tae Ha, usually a stoic man who relied on no one, felt suddenly empty as the alcohol weakened his resolve.

He wished he had someone to share his stifling emotions with, but there was no one. Caught up in trying to keep pace with Kang Si Hyun’s life, he’d never managed to make even one close friend.

Oddly, what came to mind was Leon. Maybe his father would be happy to receive a call out of the blue.

He hesitated, thinking it might be too late. Then he remembered that it was morning where his father was.

After some hesitation, Tae Ha made the call.

[Dash] My son?

Leon looked surprised as he answered the call. Understandable, since Tae Ha had rarely ever initiated a video call.

[Dash] What’s going on? It must be the middle of the night there.

Tae Ha showed his glass of whiskey to Leon, who looked immediately concerned.

“It’s nothing. I just wanted to have a drink with you, Dad.”

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but the word ‘Dad,’ which had felt incredibly awkward the first time, came out quite naturally the second time.

Leon looked surprised, then hurried.

[Dash] Can you wait a minute? I’ll go get some alcohol too.

“It’s okay. It’s still morning there, isn’t it?”

[Dash] What are you talking about? My son is asking for a drink for the first time; of course I have to drink.